Elderberry

Elderberry, known in botanic as Sambucus, is a genus which includes about five to thirty species of berries and it is a part of Adoxaceae family. The genus generally grows in the northern hemisphere. The main characteristics for all sambucus species are the same; they grow as bushes or small trees which have pinnate leaves with three or nine leaflets and white or cream colored flowers while the fruits, the berries, are black, bluish or red with a strong smell. Elderberry main utilization is for preparing alcoholic beverages like wine, brandy and sambuca which carries the plants name. The fruits are not safe to be eaten raw because they contain a mild poisonous substance, called cyanide toxicity, which is destroyed when the fruits are cooked. The flowers can be used for preparing syrups like socata made by elderberry’s flowers syrup, water, sugar and lemon juice. Because the juices made of elderberries plants are very popular they have been recently commercialized. Sambuca, an alcoholic drink made by elderberry extract, is considered to be efficient against avian influenza virus in vitro.